Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
UNWLA 100
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40-41
42-43
44
WORLD FEDERATION OF UKRAINIAN WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS July 1963 No. 1 Women's Organizations Behind the Iron Curtain Editorial UNITY OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS It is amazing how little we know about each other. Entire ethnic groups, far from their na tive country live and strive be side us in the Free World. And especially women. We women have much in com mon as mothers, wives and hu man beings. But we differ in our methods of striving for better human conditions and cultural values. This difference in think ing and acting is of inestimable worth, a peculiarity we are proud of. We like it in ourselves and we look for it in other com munities. It makes for a variety of ideas on the same subject. To those who understand us are these pages destined. Ukrain ian women and their organiza tions are scattered throughout the Free World. But they are united in WFUWO (World Fede ration of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations) in order to unify and strengthen their work. While living and striving in the Free World let us share our goals and achievements with other women’s groups and orga nizations. And, let us inform those who wish to be informed that we are their ally in their various endeavors. The changing world with its problems around us requires strength and good will, from everyone. Only with a firm faith in God and ou r goal can we cope with it. The Ukrainian woman in our native country is denied the free word. Barred from the Free World by the Iron Curtain, she cannot express her true feelings nor join the striving of free women’s organizations. It is our duty to give a picture of her real life and difficulties. The women’s organizations of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialistic Republic is called Women’s Council. Its cells are attached to various centers of work, i.e. to economic and cultural institu tions. Therefore their program varies. For instance the cell of building administration takes care of lectures for women. Women’s Council at town centers (City Halls) see to it that streets and squares are kept clean and beautified. The cells at collective farms (kolhosps) take care of the organization of kindergar tens. The cells at schools help with new school programs. The cells at factory level encourage women workers to accomplish the working norm. On the surface these tasks seem to be naturally connected with the position of women. But, on considering them more inti mately, one gets another, and more realistic view of their work. Although Women’s Councils are very numerous, their cells are small in number. The reason for this is that only party mem bers or verified individuals can join it. Women's Councils are not centralized nor do they form their own program. Their work is directed through party politics and adjusted to local party needs. Women’s Councils do not have press organs. In the maga zine “Radyanska Zhinka” (So viet Woman) they occupy only one or one and one-half pages for their problems and direc tives. The Women’s Councils have another and sinister significance. They are far away from the women’s organizations in the Free World with their indepen dent program and voluntary membership. Their role is in stead that of a woman’s police who watches over executing the Party’s directives. Let us consider its main achievements in this light. The lectures for women, in the build ing administration, are aimed specially against the practice of religion in the family circle. The work for embellishment of cities is a heavy load for over-worked women, who have to contribute to it on Saturdays and Sundays. The organization of kindergar tens at collective farms involves manual work in the construction and maintenance of them. In school programs the temporary help of children, in farm labor at harvest or spring time must be supervised by Women’s Coun cils. Therefore the program and work of Women’s Council is a new burden for women in Ukraine. It is the supervising arm of the party, stretched into domains of life like religious or family feelings. Its aim and work deprives the Ukrainian woman of the rest and privacy each human being needs. How hard the circumstances are we can read official statis tics of the government. Not long ago the result of conscrip tion in USSR gave us the fact of a declin i ng birth rate in the last few years. In a country barely risen from an agricultural into an industrial type this is sur prising. The true reason for that is the heavy burden the Soviet woman carries on her spine. Irene Pelensky НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ — ЛИПЕНЬ -СЕРПЕНЬ, 1963 19
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40-41 
42-43 
44 
